This classic Japanese strawberry shortcake is perhaps the most popular cake in Japan. You will find it selling everywhere in Japan all year round, yes, not only strawberries are in season.
The Japanese strawberry shortcake is made with layers of soft and airy sponge cake, mildly sweetened fluffy whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. And then decorate with fresh whole strawberries and whipped cream.
Try this easy recipe for Japanese strawberry shortcake when strawberries are in season, you will love it. It also includes a recipe for making the Japanese-style light and airy sponge cake.
“A simple celebration cake”
It is also known as “Japanese Christmas cake” as it is traditionally eaten to celebrate Christmas. And it is also served at all kinds of parties, celebrations, and special occasions like birthday parties. But let me say this, it is a lovely dessert to treat yourself and your family even there is no any special occasion.
Strawberry shortcake is called Ichigo no shōtokēki (イチゴのショートケーキ) in Japanese. Ichigo means strawberry and shōtokēki means shortcake.
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What is a Shortcake?
Shortcake generally refers to a dessert with flaky biscuits or a crumbly scone-like texture most of which are usually served with fruits and cream. There are different kinds of shortcakes but the most popular one is strawberry shortcakes.
In the United States, strawberry shortcakes are flaky biscuits topped with cream and jam. In Britain strawberry, shortcakes are a classic crumbly cake topped with cream, jam, and fresh fruit.
However, when compared with Western-style strawberry shortcakes, Japanese-style strawberry shortcake has a completely different texture, with a super light and fluffy cake base.
What is so special
about Japanese strawberry shortcakes?
Japanese Strawberry Shortcake is really a classic Japanese dessert, a truly Japanese creation. It’s a simple but elegant dessert not overly sweet, and is perfectly balanced.
Well, Japanese strawberry shortcake is a dessert made of light and airy sponge cake layers, filled with sliced fresh sweet strawberries in lightly sweetened whipped cream. And then decorate with again fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
How to Make Japanese Strawberry Shortcake
This cake is made from layers of homemade Japanese-style sponge cake, homemade lightly sweetened whipped cream, and Japanese fresh strawberries.
Japanese-style sponge cake
A traditional Japanese sponge cake is typically soft, light, and not too sweet. I have shared one of the best recipes for making it. Just try it once, you’ll love it. However, you can also use my 4-ingredient oil sponge cake recipe, or use your own go-to sponge cake recipe.
Japanese fresh strawberries
Japanese strawberries are known for their large size, soft texture, and sweetness compared to the average strawberries. Of course, in this recipe, I used Japanese strawberries as they are perfect and readily available. If you cannot find them, try to use the sweetest strawberries you can find.
Lightly sweetened whipped cream
Whipped cream is used between the sponge layers and then to frost the whole cake. You can use either homemade or store-bought whipped cream but make sure to use lightly sweetened one. And just remember, making whipped cream at home is very easy, and only takes a few minutes. And the best thing is you can control the sweetness.
Tips for making Sponge Cake
Use Cake Flour
The sponge cake made with cake flour is softer and lighter in comparison to cakes made with all-purpose flour. If you replace cake flour with all-purpose flour, the texture will be different.
Baking Tips
Make sure to preheat the oven before placing your cake in the oven.
Baking time depends on your oven and the type of pan you’re using, so you will need to adjust the baking time accordingly.
Do not open the oven door until you are certain the cake has baked enough, or it will collapse.
Be careful not to overbake the cake. When done, the cake should be golden-brown, well-risen, and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Test the cake with a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it is clean, then your cake is done.
Tip to prevent the cake from shrinking
As soon as you take out the cake pan from the oven, drop it on the counter once. It helps to remove any air that has been trapped so as to decrease the risk of deflation.
Tips for making Strawberry Shortcake
Chill the sponge cake before cutting
Let the sponge cool down completely and then chill it in the fridge for 2-3 hours before cutting. Do not cut it too early, you might not be able to slice it thinly and nicely.
Use cold whipping cream and Chill the bowl before whipping cream
It’s important to have a really cold cream for making whipped cream. And chill the mixing bowl before making whipped cream for the best result.
Wash and dry your strawberries
First, wash the strawberries. Pat them dry with paper towels, making sure to absorb as much water as possible. Let them dry completely on fresh paper towels before use.
Make it simple
Traditional Japanese strawberry cakes typically use only whipped cream and strawberries for frosting and decoration. So make sure to decorate it in a simple way.
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Japanese Strawberry Shortcake
(Step-by-Step Recipe)
Equipment: 18-cm round pan
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 1 round cake (18 cm) or 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
For the Sponge Cake
3 egg yolks, at room temperature
A few drops of vanilla extract or essence
3 egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon juice
80 g sugar
100 g cake flour, sifted
1 tablespoon milk, warm
1 tablespoon butter, melted
For the Whipped Cream
300 ml heavy cream, chilled
3 tbsp sugar
For the Filling and Topping
15-18 whole strawberries, hulled
For the Sugar Syrup
30 g granulated sugar
2 tablespoon water
Instruction
Line the bottom and side of the cake pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 160 °C (320 °F).
Beat the egg yolks lightly in a small bowl with vanilla extract or essence if used.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with lemon juice.
Once they’ve begun to foam, add the sugar one tablespoon at a time and whip egg whites until stiff peaks.
Keep whipping the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Mix the egg yolks very gently into the meringue to preserve as much air as possible.
Fold the flour very gently into the egg mixture to preserve as much air as possible. I usually sift the flour twice before adding it. And then one more time when adding it to the cake batter. This makes the flour more light and airy.
Fold the flour gently into the mixture using a rubber spatula to preserve as much air as possible until all the flour is incorporated.
Warm up the milk and melt the butter. Add melted butter to the warm milk and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Take out one scoop of the cake batter from the bowl and add it to the butter and milk mixture. Mix well. Add the mixture back to the batter. Gently fold in. It helps to incorporate with the rest of the cake batter without much damaging air bubbles.
When you lift the spatula, the batter should fold down like a ribbon.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and drop it on the counter once to release air bubbles in the batter. Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 160 °C (320 °F) for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
As soon as you take out the cake pan from the oven, drop it on the counter once as it helps to stop the shrinking. Let the cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Remove the parchment paper around the cake.
When the cake has cooled, remove it from the pan and let it cool down completely on the cooling rack.
Allow to chill completely before you cut the cake. If the cake is not completely flat, you can trim it with a sharp knife. Before cutting the cake, let it chill in the fridge for about 3 hours or overnight. Slice the cooled cake into two or three layers, as desired.
Prepare whipped cream by whisking the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.
Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.
Prepare the strawberries. Wash the strawberries and then pat them dry with paper towels, making sure to absorb as much water as possible.
Remove the hull and cut the strawberries into halves. Leave some whole to decorate the top of the cake.
Combine the sugar and water in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds until melted, cool. Lay one layer of cake down and brush with the sugar syrup.
Apply a generous layer of whipping cream onto the bottom layer of the cake by leveling it with an offset spatula. Arrange a layer of strawberry halves. Cover them with more whipped cream.
Place the second sponge cake layer on top, aligning it perfectly with the bottom layer. Give the cake a thin crumb coat before frosting the entire cake with whipped cream.
Frost the top and all around the cake with whipped cream using an offset spatula and then decorate the top of the cake with whipped cream and whole or strawberry halves, as you like.
Leave the cake in the fridge for about 2 hours before serving.
Serve & Enjoy!
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More Strawberry Recipe
If you like meringue desserts, then you will love this easy Strawberry Pavlova recipe, a delightful dessert to enjoy any time of year.
Japanese Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
BEST! Japanese Strawberry Shortcake
Equipment
- 18 cm round cake pan
Ingredients
For the Sponge Cake
- 3 egg yolks at room temperature
- vanilla extract or essence a few drops
- 3 egg whites at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 80 g sugar
- 100 g cake flour shifted
- 1 tablespoon milk warm
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
For the Whipped Cream
- 300 ml heavy cream chilled
- 3 tbsp sugar
For the Filling and Topping
- 15-18 whole strawberries hulled
For the Sugar Syrup
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Line the bottom and side of the cake pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 160 °C (320 °F).
- Beat the egg yolks lightly in a small bowl with vanilla extract or essence if use.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with lemon juice.
- Once they’ve begun to foam, add the sugar one tablespoon at a time and whip egg whites until stiff peaks.
- Keep whipping the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Mix the egg yolks very gently into the meringue to preserve as much air as possible.
- Fold the flour very gently into the egg mixture to preserve as much air as possible. I usually sift the flour twice before adding. And then one more time when adding it to the cake batter. This makes the flour more light and airy.
- Fold the flour gently into the mixture using a rubber spatula to preserve as much air as possible until all the flour is incorporated.
- Warm up the milk and melt the butter. Add melted butter into the warm milk and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Take out one scoop of the cake batter from the bowl and add it to the butter and milk mixture. Mix well. Add the mixture back to the batter. Gently fold in. It helps to incorporate with the rest of the cake batter without much damaging air bubbles.
- When you lift the spatula, the batter should fold down like ribbon.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and drop it on the counter once to release air bubbles in the batter. Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 160 °C (320 °F) for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- As soon as you take out the cake pan from the oven, drop it on the counter once as it helps stopping the shrinking. Let the cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Remove the parchment paper around the cake.
- When the cake has cooled, remove from the pan and let it cool down completely on the cooling rack.
- Allow to chill completely before you cut the cake. If the cake is not completely flat, you can trim it with a sharp knife. Before cutting the cake, let it chill in the fridge for about 3 hours or overnight. Slice the cooled cake into two or three layers, as desired.
- Prepare whipped cream by whisking the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Prepare the strawberries. Wash the strawberries and then pat them dry with paper towels, making sure to absorb as much water as possible.
- Remove the hull and cut the strawberries into halves. Leave some whole to decorate the top of the cake.
- Combine the sugar and water in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds until melted, cool. Lay one layer of cake down and brush with the sugar syrup.
- Apply a generous layer of whipping cream onto the bottom layer of cake by leveling it with an offset spatula. Arrange a layer of strawberry halves. Cover them with more whipped cream.
- Place the second sponge cake layer on top, aligning it perfectly with the bottom layer. Give the cake a thin crumb coat before icing the entire cake with whipped cream.
- Frost the top and all around the cake with whipped cream using an offset spatula and then decorate the top of the cake with whipped cream and whole or strawberry halves, as you like.
- Let the cake chill overnight in the refrigerator – it will taste much better the day after!
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